Stem Cell Therapy

We are committed to helping people achieve optimum health by offering the latest in treatmnt options. Advances in stem cell research are giving new hope to people affected by various conditions which cause pain and other symptoms.

Why Orthopedic Specialists?

Our Physicians Who better to treat your joints and tendon pain than an Orthopedic Surgeon. That is what we do! You can be confident that our fellowship-trained doctors not only specialize in the areas of your pain, but they have additional training to treat these areas with various treatments including Stem Cell Therapy.

Our State-of-the-Art Facility We have our own procedural room with the fluoroscopic and ultrasound equipment required to perform these procedures to their highest degree of accuracy.

Our Prices We pride ourselves in making these procedures more affordable for our patients. With the procedures being done in our office, we eliminate the additional hassle and costs associated with the use of a hospital or surgery center. Now, more people can afford Stem Cell Therapy. It’s not just for the professional athletes. As you are probably aware, Stem Cell Therapy is not covered by health insurance at this time. Please ask for price of your recommended therapy.

What Are Stem Cells?

Adult stem cells are cells that are found throughout the body, and under the right conditions, these cells divide and multiply producing even more cells. In fact, stem cells are capable of developing into other types of cells with the potential to regenerate damaged tissues such as bones, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. Stem cells regenerate indefinitely. Although they are referred to as “adult”, these stem cells can be found in children as well as adults.

What's All The Hype

Over the past decade, the medical field has benefitted from stem cell research. These scientific findings have given way to the new and exciting field of “regenerative medicine”. This means that a person can take advantage of their body’s ability to heal itself by using the healthy adult stem cells that can be found throughout their own body. The field of Stem Cell Therapy continues to evolve, focusing on cures rather than just treatments for various forms of arthritis and orthopedic problems. The number of stem cells present in the body and their functional capacity to repair damaged tissue declines with age, and chronic diseases further decrease their ability to respond to chronic injury or damage in the body. When stem cells are injected into a patient they provide a much higher concentration in the area where healing factors are needed to repair damage, as well as stimulating your body's own regenerating process to begin working again. This is why research has shown positive results in the ability to generate new tissues without risk of rejection with Stem Cell Therapy.

What Are The Benefits?

The ultimate goal of Stem Cell Therapy is to reduce pain and improve function without the need for surgery.

Safe

Same day process

No surgery

Minimal down time

Relatively painless procedure

All natural

Can It Help Me?

Stem cells are our bodies’ natural repair mechanism. As we age or get injured, we sometimes cannot get enough of these critical repair cells to the injured area. Stem cell procedures increase the availability of these cells in the injured area and enhance the body’s natural ability to heal. The goal is to deliver much greater numbers of stem cells to the injured area than your body can deliver on its own. The most common areas being treated with Stem Cell Therapy include:

Shoulder

Knee

Hip

Spine Degeneration

Many more conditions may be treated, including:

Ankle and Foot

Arthritis

Ankle Instability

Peroneal tendon tear or split

Ligament sprain or tear

Sub-talar arthritis or instability

Tarsal tunnel syndrome

Plantar fasciitis

Knee

Arthritis

Patellofemoral Syndrome / Chondromalacia

Pes anserine bursitis

Baker's cyst

Patellar tendonitis

Meniscus tear

MCL sprain or tear

ACL sprain or tear

PCL sprain or tear

LCL sprain or tear

Instability

Biceps femoris insertional tendinopathy

Hamstrings tendinopathy

Hand and Wrist

Hand arthritis

Instability

TFCC tear

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Trigger finger

Elbow

Arthritis

Instability

Tennis / Golfer's elbow

Hip

Arthrits

Avascular necrosis

Osteonecrosis

Bursitis

Tendinopathy

Labral / labrum tear

Shoulder

Rotator cuff tears

Arthritis of the shoulder joint

Thoracic outlet syndrome

Labral tears or degeneration

Rotator cuff tendonitis

AC joint separation

Recurrent shoulder dislocations

Please note that in some cases, the condition being treated is too severe for Stem Cell Therapy and surgery may be necessary. Depending on a patient’s injury and specific needs, the doctor will recommend this procedure if it is right for you.

What Are Alternative Treatment Options?

Medicines and/or vitamins

Cortisone injections

Viscosupplementation (eg., Hyalgan)

Arthroscopic surgery

Joint replacement

Where Do Stem Cells Come From?

In adults, stem cells are present within a variety of tissues and organs. The most common and richest source comes from your bone marrow. Your hip bone is one of the best and most convenient locations to withdraw bone marrow.

How Is Therapy Performed?

The procedure takes less than 1 hour.

First, the hip area from where the bone marrow will be taken is sterilely prepped and thoroughly numbed.

Then, using fluoroscopic guidance, a needle aspiration of 60-120cc of bone marrow from your iliac crest (hip) is performed.

The bone marrow is then placed into a centrifuge system and spun to separate stem cells from the rest of your marrow using the most advanced technology available.

Then, using advanced imaging guidance, the doctor will inject your own stem cells and the natural growth factors from your bone marrow back into your area of repair. Using the Real-time Fluoroscopic and Musculoskeletal Ultrasound machines, allow the doctor to pinpoint the exact location of the injection, as well as insure the cells disperse into the targeted tissues.

The bone marrow cells removed will only be used for this procedure. Any remaining cells will be discarded following the injection.

Is It Painful?

The procedure we use is called a bone marrow aspirate. This is different than a bone marrow biopsy, which can be painful. The bone marrow aspiration process is often described by patients as being comfortable. Nearly all patients say they had no to mild discomfort with the bulk of them saying they would do it again without hesitation.

Although it is not necessary to have someone with you, you may feel more comfortable knowing someone can drive you home if you want. This is mandatory if you take relaxation medicine prior to procedure

Post-Therapy:

Do not use anti-inflammatory medication for 1 week. Tylenol or pain medications may be used for pain

Ice and heat may be used as needed

Rest the affected area as much as possible for the first 24-48 hours. Even if you feel great, do not overdo it

Refrain from significant activity involving the injected site until after your re-check appointment in 3 weeks

In 3-4 weeks you can increase your activities.

After 4 weeks, you are permitted to resume all activities

When Will I See Results?

Since each condition and patient are unique, there is no guarantee of what results will be achieved or how quickly they may be observed. With that said, many patients are reporting significant results in 1-3 months. It may, however, take as long as 6-9 months. Different researchers often use different techniques and have different definitions of success. Nevertheless, many independent researchers have shown evidence of effectiveness in treating orthopedic injuries and disease by reducing pain and improving quality of life. Some studies have shown MRI evidence of healing and even regeneration of tissue (including cartilage) that would not have been expected without Stem Cell Therapy. Reported success rates are as high as 70 – 90% in some studies.

What Are The Risks?

Studies in humans have indicated that Stem Cell Therapy is very safe and present low overall risk. However, any procedure may involve the risk of an unsuccessful result or complication, including but not limited to bleeding, infections, nerve/nervous system damage, or other serious injury which might not be known. The primary risks of this treatment include: (a) infection, bleeding, and long lasting pain associated with marrow removal from the iliac crest, (b) those signs/symptoms associated with an injection, such as pain, superficial or deep infection around the site, (c) no relief of symptoms, (d) worsening of symptoms, (e) deep venous thrombosis, (f) damage to neurovascular structures, (g) the potential for scar tissue formation, and (h) the potential for intravascular infection. Since the research for this treatment is limited and long term data is not available, there may also be potential risks associated with this injection that are not yet known.